Assemblyman Bill Nojay committed suicide yesterday.
He was one of the loudest pro-gun voices in the legislature and will be sorely missed.
Month: September 2016
Optimism
Some more reasons for optimism in the CD-22 race between Claudia Tenney, Kim Myers and Martin Babinec. I believe Tenney is leading the group.
First, there are two biased polls, one by the DCCC and another by a Republican-leaning group, which indicate Tenney is either tied or a little ahead of Myers.
Second, a Democrat super PAC is doing a big attack ad campaign against Tenney. If Myers were out in front they would not be doing that.
With it being a three-way race a candidate only needs a plurality of votes to win. Tenney had some issues with local Republicans, but appears to have gotten past that.
Antis endorse Anna Throne-Holst
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence has endorsed Anna Throne-Holst in her campaign against pro-gun incumbent Congressman Lee Zeldin.
I’m not expecting much to come of this except for a brief press conference that will largely be ignored by both the media and general public.
Jeff Klein rising
A follow-up to my previous post:
“… [Sen. Jeffrey Klein] since the end of the legislative session has repeatedly been publicly complimentary of the Senate Independent Democratic Conference’s relationship with the Republicans and even showed up last week with Senate GOP Majority Leader John Flanagan at the state fair in Syracuse. Whether it’s a sign he has no intention striking a leadership deal with the mainline Democrats to give them the majority or whether he’s using it as a negotiating tactic to increase his conference’s power won’t likely become clear until after the November elections …”
It’s both.
Klein probably thinks as I do that the Republicans will lose at least one or two Senate seats and will have to form a governing coalition with the IDC in the upper chamber. Doing this will give Klein more clout than he would have if he rejoined with the mainline Democrats.
Throne-Holst attacks Zeldin on guns
Challenger Ann Throne-Holst tries attacking incumbent Congressman Lee Zeldin in CD-1.
I don’t think the ad is very effective.
Read the signs
I have said before that I believe the Republicans will have to form a coalition with the IDC next year. If we follow the money trail there is more evidence pointing in that direction.
“A powerful union with close ties to both Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio is throwing its money behind the Republican Party’s bid to maintain control of the state Senate. Health care workers Local 1199/SEIU pumped $100,000 into the coffers of the Senate Republican Campaign Committee …”
“The New York State United Teachers union’s main political giving apparatus contributed $56,100 to the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, according to a Board of Elections filing. With the donation, NYSUT’s VOTE/COPE has contributed the maximum this cycle — $109,600 — to the main fundraising arm of the Senate Republicans as the conference seek to maintain control of the chamber this year …”
This smells of a 3-way deal between Cuomo, John Flanagan and Jeff Klein with the Governor being the decision maker.